Lakers Notes: Redick, Doncic, Reaves, Ayton, Offseason Plans

A heated exchange between JJ Redick and Luka Doncic during Saturday’s win over Golden State drew some attention on social media, but the Lakers coach dismissed it as something “very normal” that happens during the course of games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The incident occurred when Doncic was removed from the game and walked by Redick without responding to a fist bump. Redick followed Doncic to his seat, and they yelled at each other before Redick returned to his usual spot. Doncic stood up to scream at his coach some more before Jarred Vanderbilt intervened and calmed the situation.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time, to be honest with you,” Redick told reporters. “I don’t think Luka did either. He and I have a great relationship. I really value our relationship. And I think those things happen. Not every game, but they happen very frequently. And sometimes you have to rehash them with a player, or as a teammate. Sometimes it happens player to player. It’s a competition. And there’s two guys here who, in this case, are trying to win a basketball game and be on the same page about stuff.”

A Lakers source told McMenamin the exchange was the result of frustration over a three-game losing streak, while a source close to Doncic said he and Redick have a strong relationship but they’re “both fiercely competitive and are always pushing each other.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

• The team is 11-6 in games where Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have all been available, but that doesn’t mean they’re playing well together, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. has only outscored opponents by three total points in the 297 minutes they’ve all been on the court, and they’re producing 109.2 points per 100 possessions in lineups that feature all three players, which would rank 29th in the league. “The bigger challenge is when they’re all on the court together,” Redick said, “because they all want the basketball, and the reality … people have to sacrifice. The other two guys also have to sacrifice — they’re out there with those three guys. LeBron, his usage is low for his career. When Austin’s been out there, his usage is a little bit less than what it’s been throughout the season.”
• Re-signing Reaves will be a priority this summer, but the Lakers won’t get a bargain like they did the last time he hit free agency, SI’s Chris Mannix stated on the Run It Back podcast. “There’s gonna be a market for Austin Reaves, a big one this summer,” Mannix said. “The Lakers are gonna have to pay him.” Mannix indicates that L.A. is confident about keeping Reaves and is more concerned about finding high-level defenders to team with him and Doncic.
• Mannix adds that the Lakers want to use Doncic’s NBA Finals team in Dallas from 2024 as the blueprint for their future (Twitter video link). That could mean finding someone more qualified than Deandre Ayton to fill the Daniel Gafford/Dereck Lively II role, with Mannix suggesting that Gafford might be a possibility since he was mentioned in numerous trade rumors before the deadline. Ayton holds an $8.1MM player option for next season.
• The Lakers have appointed Michael Spetner as chief strategy and growth officer, making him the latest Dodgers official to join the organization, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link).